Gomes signs $10 million deal with Red Sox

Outfielder Jonny Gomes signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, the team announced Saturday.

The two sides agreed to the deal on Nov. 21 but was still pending a physical, according to MLB.com.

"I see him playing a lot of left field -- we think his bat fits well in the lineup, in the ballpark," Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said. "We did a lot of work on him, and he's developed a really good reputation as a leader in the clubhouse, a guy that can mentor young players and make an influence. He plays with an edge and he's used to the AL East, so we just felt like it's a good fit, all the way around."

The Red Sox are also hoping to re-sign outfielder Cody Ross, who was one of the more productive players on the team this year.

Gomes, a right-handed batter, will play against left-handed pitching, but how much he plays against right-handers is still uncertain.

Gomes hit .299 against left-handers this year for the Oakland A's. All 10 of his doubles came against lefties. He also had a .413 on-base percentage against lefties and a .974 on-base plus slugging percentage.

"We expect him to play a lot," Cherington said. "Exactly how many at-bats it ends up being, that's up to (manager) John (Farrell) and I guess up to Jonny, to some degree -- how he performs. He'll have an opportunity to play a lot. We see him as an important part of the team."

Overall, Gomes batted .262 with 18 home runs, 47 RBI and a .377 on-base percentage in 333 plate appearances in helping the A's win the AL West. He has only surpassed 500 at-bats just once in his career in 2010 with the Cincinnati Reds.